Means for steering boats.



PATENTED JAN. 1b, 1905.

J. E. NICHOLSON. MEANS FOR. STEERING BOATS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 2s, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET No. 779,961. PATENTBD JAN. l0, 1905.

I J. E. NICHOLSON.

MEANS FOR STEERING BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented January 10, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDIVARD NICHOLSON, OF ELKHAR'I, ILLINOIS.

`MEANS FOR STEERING BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,961, dated January10, 1905.

Application filed February 23, 1904. Serial No. 194,834.

To @Il whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN EDWARD NICHOL- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing' at Elkhart, in the county of Logan and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forSteering' Boats, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to novel improvements in boats or vessels, andparticularly to the provision of a peculiar construction of steeringmeans therefor. In the preferred contemplation of the invention theVessel is of sectional construction, being provided with a movable prowor bow section which is so mounted relative to the hull or body of thevessel as to constitute a rudder or like steering means by which themovement of the vessel may be readily directed. l

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a perspective view showing the invention in its application tolarge vessels. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the vessel,showing'more clearly the relative disposition of the bow-section andhull-section. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view bringing out moreclearly the exact construction of the parts. Fig. 4 is a combined viewin perspective of the hull-plate and bow-section plate, which arepivotally secured together in mounting the bow-section upon the hull ofthe vessel.

Corresponding and like parts are vreferred adaptation to all classes ofmarine vessels. In the preferred construction of the invention theforward portion of the hull adjacent the bow is cut away, as shown at 2,for purposes which will appear more fully hereinafter. Mounted upon orcarried by the forward portion of the vessel is a movable bow-section orprow 3, which is pivotally`supported and which is adapted underactuation of suitable steering apparatus for a lateral pivotal movementto govern the course of the vessel in a rudder capacity. Aspecial'construction of parts is utilized to properly support themovable bow-section 3 upon the hull-section l, so as to admit ofthorough control of the movement of this section by those steering theboat. In carrying' out the above a hull-plate 4 is secured to thehull-section l of the vessel and covers the forward cut-away portion 2thereof. rIhe hull-plate 4 is provided with rearwardly-extending iianges5, which are secured to the body or hull by means of substantialfastenings, such as arecommonly employed for analogous purposes.Projected from the hull-plate 4 are a plurality of supporting or pivotmembers 6, which are arranged in an approximately vertical dispositionand which are provided with vertical openings to receive a shaft 7, thelatter constituting the pivot member upon which the bow-section 3 isadapted to turn. The bow-section 3 is provided upon its rear side with abow-plate 8 of a construction similar to the hull-plate 4, this plate 8being provided also with the flanges 5 to secure same in position. Theplate 8 is also provided with a horizontal iange 9, the flange 9overlapping the upper portion of the bow-section 3, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. An opening 10 is provided in thehorizontal flange 9 to admit of proper disposal of the pivot-shaft 7.Sockets or depressions ll are also provided upon the anges 9 of thehow-plate', within which sockets are disposed rings 12, which formconnecting means for attachment of the ropes 13, which form a part ofthe steering apparatus proper. The ropes 13 extend through the hull ofthe vessel and are connected, if found desirable, with thesteering-wheel in the usual manner. The bowplate 8 is also provided witha plurality of IOO verticallyarranged bearing-recesses 14, whichrecesses receive the pivot members 6 projected from the hull-plate 4,and the pivot-shaft 7 when the parts are arranged in working positionintersects the bearing-recesses 111, passing through the verticalopenings and provided in the pivot members 6 to establish the pivotalconnection between the bow-section 3 and the hull-section l.

The bow-plate 8 and the hull-plate 4 are each curved between the flanges5 thereof, so as to admit of the pivotal movement of the bow-section, asabove described.

In order to facilitate the turning movement of the bow-section 3 underthe actuation of the steering apparatus and to mount the bowsection topermit of a maximum ease of pivotal movement thereof, the pivot members6 of the hull-plate are providedupon their upper sides with annulargrooves l5, which grooves are concentrical with the vertical opening inthe pivot members and receive antifriction ball-bearings 16.` 1t will bethus seen that all friction between the pivot members 6 of the bearingrecessed portions 14 is reduced to a minimum, which is essentiallydesirable in a device of this class.

Though in the preferable embodiment of the invention the bow-section orprow of same is used in the rudder capacity described, it will beunderstood that the stern portion of the vessel could readily beconstructed and mounted in substantialbT the same manner as thebow-section to constitute the steering medium for directing the movementof the vessel.

Further, it will be understood that specific changes of construction maybe made as regards the detail parts of the invention without departingfrom the spirit thereof.

An advantageous feature of the construction indicated above will befound in the fact that the various connected portions by which thebou/section is mounted upon the hull-section are fully protected bothfrom the elements and from other adverse conditions which may arise inthe use of a boat or vessel constructed in accordance with my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In aboat or vessel, the combination of a hull-section, a hull-plate securedto the hullsection, pivot members projected horizontally from thehull-plate, a movable bow-section, a bow-plate secured to thebow-section and provided with a plurality of bearing-recesses to receivethe pivot members of the hull-plate, a pivot-shaft connecting the pivotmembers of the hull-plate and the bow-section, a lateral horizontaliiange projected from the upper portion of the bow-plate and overlappingthe bow-section, sockets provided in said iange, connectingerings or thelike disposed in said sockets, and steeringropes connected to the saidrings.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD NICHOLSON. lr.. 5.! lvitnesses:

P. H. BRENNAN, RALPH LAMVERT,

